Friday, April 11, 2014

Raising the Roof to Make a Little House Bigger

As you guys probably figured out by now.....
I completely renovated/changed/redid the cottage I bought on Cape Code.
That included raising the roof to create a loft where I set up my office/drafting board.
In future posts, I will show you the old and new floorplans as well as construction photos.
But for now I'm just showing the after shots that were published in Decorating Magazine as well as the Design Magazine of the Boston Globe.
The loft looked over the living room and the new fireplace I added.
I drove around the Boston area looking for railing ideas, nearly driving off the road in several instances while I craned my neck trying to absorb architectural details.
I wanted the cottage look as well as a feel of New England.
I settled on the Chippendale style.
I wish it had been in the days of Google, because all you have to do is look online for Chippendale railing ideas, 
and it's all spread out for you in the comfort of your living room!!!!!
This is the pattern I chose.
But there are tons of wonderful patterns to choose in this style.
The loft looked out over the ocean.
When I was sitting down upstairs in my desk chair, I couldn't see any land, just the water.
It felt like I was in a boat!!!!
Along the front of the loft I hung a collection of fish plates.
In the days of fine living... 
(which I certainly am not doing.....)
people had special plates for the different courses of a meal.
For the fish course, they had a set of plates with different fish hand painted on each plate, as well as a platter to match the set.
You can find these sets on eBay, though I found them antiquing, as there was no eBay when I designed this house.
This Limoges set is currently for sale on the website, and I think it's very pretty.
Here's a close up of the platter.
A plate.
another one in the other direction!!!
I like the coral details.
Limoges produced a lot of different sets of fish plates.
Another eBay offering,
another....
I could go on forever, I just love these types of things that I hang on walls.....
OK, the last one.....
Sooooooo.....
I hung them on the loft fascia.
I mixed together two different patterns.
 and I stored some other patterns in my bookcase.....
I still have some of these plates, and brought a set down to Flerida with me.
I keep them in my kitchen, and will never use them, but it makes me feel all warm and gooey just knowing that I still have one set left.
Too bad I don't have people over for dinner, but then I'd have to cook.
On that note,
Latah, Gatah
Photobucket








14 comments:

Classof65 said...

You must have an awful lot of money -- would you like to adopt me?

bmayer said...

You dont have to cook...that's why take out was invented. I'll be happy to come over and eat off your plates. I'll even bring the wine, or maybe even the take out, if you play your cards right.

Anonymous said...

I understand how your fish plates make you feel. We have holly and berry plates that we use every day. And I have English china covered in blackberries that we keep in the travel trailer. Makes for pretty dining, even if we are doing the simplest of travel food.

So I guess my thing is berry plates. The holly and berry plates are in a large plate rack. I had not thought of hanging the other berry plates I own up as decorating accents. I will have to think about that a bit. Gail

Anonymous said...

You can still use your fancy plates....and you don't have to cook. It's a fun idea they came up with a couple of years ago. Pay $5.99 and you get restaurant take out delivered right to your front door.

I have yet to find anything you've done that I don't just love to bits. And your little seaside cottage is no exception. I cannot tell you how much I have learned from your posts. A sincere thank you.

Penny Tucker, San Jose, CA

Anonymous said...

I came back for a second look, as I always do. The railing ideas are very attractive, and not what I would see around here where I live. I consider your books and this blog to be a great decorating "class", and I am loving every minute of it. Gail

Unknown said...

I agree with class of 65 (class of 68 myself) and since both my parents passed on leaving me an orphan, I am available for adoption as well. I love those fish plates, looking at them everyday would make me feel warm and fuzzy all over too!

AndeM1 said...

I'm not sure how you left this slice of heaven.....and I love the fish plates too.

laney said...

...that betsy raised the roof is no surprise... and that she did it beautifully is certainly no surprise...blessings laney

Beth C. said...

Love Chinese Chippendale. Your railing is gorgeous. Did you add the window to the loft? Best, Beth C.

fixitfaerie said...

Love the railing. I bet is was wonderful up in the loft and only seeing the ocean. Have you used your sardine boxes in your Flerida house. I've seen them somewhere before. Thanks for sharing.

cotedetexas said...

love this house - love what you did with the railings!!! love those. reminds me of this railing in aidan gray's house - towards the end of the story. http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-original-aidan-gray-house.html they changed the railings too!!

Charlotte Des Fleurs said...

Wow, Betsy, I love how you change the architecture to make spaces more comfortable and usable. Although I see that you have done some "gazillion" dollar decorating, most of what you do seems to be accessible to the mid range homeowner. Your use of human-scaled vaulted ceilings is a concept that should be considered by every homeowner whenever possible. It always makes a room with a small footprint look larger.
We own a small rental that is just under 2,000 sq feet. However, it "lives larger" just because the builder gave us vaulted ceilings in the living room, dining room, master bedroom and bath and one of the secondary bedrooms on the second floor. On the other hand, the kitchen has one of those stupid build in fluorescent light fixtures and a 7.5 foot ceiling. One of these days soon I am going to rip out the ceiling in the kitchen and raise it to 8 feet.

Smiles from My Slice of Provence, Charlotte

Divine Theatre said...

So...they put pictures of the course on the plates? In that case, I need a macaroni and cheese emblazoned plate...and that's pretty much it.

xo

Andie

Unknown said...

Betsy thank you for opening your home and allowing us to see all the beauty inside. Those pictures are quite amazing. The first thing that I think when I look at each one of those pictures in te bed and breakfast inn we stayed at in Cape May New Jersey. Your pictures bring me back to that delightful trip, great job with the pictures and the writing.

Pleasance Faast @ Shelton Roof

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